All the Little Houses: A Novel

All the Little Houses is the new salacious thriller from May Cobb. It is set in Longview, Texas, in the 1980s. Teenager Nellie is used to getting what she wants, and if she can't get it, her mother, Charleigh, will. Charleigh grew up with nothing, and she is determined that Nellie will have anything she wants. When a new family moves to town and begins to disrupt the social order, things start to unravel in Charleigh's carefully constructed world.

I enjoyed this book, but wow, the characters were something in this one. It is a salacious read! Most of the characters are entitled, spoiled, and unlikable, yet I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what happened! The pacing was medium to fast, and I finished it quickly. Fair warning, this book ends with a definite opening for a second book, which I would most definitely read!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

It seems May Cobb has truly found her niche for crafting stories centered on those picture-perfect, performative “Christian” small-town Texas families—and she does it very well. There was a LOT of drama in this story, lots of detestable characters, mom-daughter bully tag team duo, and more...just plain SCANDALOUS... It's a slow burn, and a little immature with the teen drama taking a great deal of the story. The ending ended kind of abruptly and left me with questions, but other than that, I really enjoyed it. I can definitely see another book to tv adaptation in the future!

I am on the fence with this book. May Cobb is great at nailing the "unhinged" 80s East Texas atmosphere, and the pacing in this book is absolutely relentless. If you’re looking for a suburban noir that moves like a freight train, this is a great pick.
The tension is top-tier. The rivalry between the two families feels claustrophobic in the best way, and the "wholesome vs. dark" contrast kept me constantly second-guessing everyone's motives. It’s a very fast-paced read that manages to feel both glamorous and gritty at the same time.
Unfortunately, the ending really missed the mark for me. It felt incredibly abrupt—as if I turned the page expecting another chapter and realized I’d reached the acknowledgments instead. While I love a good twist, there were several significant loose ends and subplots that were left completely dangling. I’m all for a "jaw-dropper," but I left the story feeling like several major questions were left unanswered.

Overall, it's a fun, fast ride if you enjoy atmospheric thrillers, but go into it prepared for a conclusion that might leave you wanting a lot more closure than you get.

loved this! kept me on my toes the whole time

There weren’t any similarities to the Laura Ingalls books, and frankly, no redeeming characters. Sure, there was a spoiled rich blonde girl named Nellie. And a Bible thumping Pa, named Ethan. Who, it runs out, was really named Charles and grifted and scammed rich people. Oh, and he was closeted gay or bi-sexual. Nothing wrong with that, but he really turned wicked. The Laura character didn’t even have that name. She went by the name of Jane. And almost the sleaziest of all of the characters. Trailer trash, really. And Jane was not the real daughter of the Ma character. I forget her name, but Ma was screwing the town rich guy to build business, open up hers and Pa’s targeted clientele. I really hated the ending. It ended rather abruptly, and thought I’d missed something. This book was a gigantic thumbs down from me.